- DRY HANDS -

Dry Hands.  How can it be raining and I have dry hands?  Everything else around here is nicely saturated with the lovely rain, and I have dry hands.  Maybe this is a left over from the hot dry weather in the valley.   I am looking forward to them being a bit friendlier to touch.  I rarely experienced dry hands at the coast.  This could be a sign.  

I enjoy walking in the rain.  Everything is still and  happily soaking in the moisture.  The birds seem to enjoy it and I almost captured a picture of a Steller's Jay.  They rarely sit still long enough to get a picture.  Here one is just flying off from its perch on the railing.  You may be able to spot it just above the railing and at the bottom of the motor home.  A beautiful blue blur.  If you don't know what they actually look like you can search pictures of them on line.  They are quite striking.

The colors of everything when it rains seem so true.  More defined and natural.  It is as though the air is clean and therefore nature can be seen more clearly.  I love how the trees and dirt and grasses and flowers appear deeper and richer in color.  Things seem more distinct.  And perhaps too, nature enjoys the drink it receives.  Everything feels different when it rains.  Refreshed.

I love the sounds.  A gentle steady rain which is then replaced with intermittent rain and then the big drops from the trees rain.  Constantly changing and shifting my awareness.  This is so much better than many, many years ago when I was working in an office and I was unable to hear the sound of rain on the roof.  I'll take this any day!

I also remember a time when a friend and I decided to walk to the ice cream store that was probably fifteen blocks away.  We were wearing rain resistant coats and set out as it was gently sprinkling.  Well, we got about half way there and it became a down pour.  We passed by a house where this man was watching the deluge as we scampered by and we could see him laughing.  It didn't seem to matter which way we went, we were going to get wet, so we continued on to our destination.  We were soaked completely. 

 We laughed a lot as we sort of walked/ran.  Without any options, we could only keep ourselves moving.  We did, of course, once we arrived at the store,  enjoy a delicious bowl of ice cream and waited as long as we could before we started our trek home.  Putting on our wet coats, I was unclear if this mattered since it was  still raining, although less.  We were grateful for a warm house, dry clothes and some hot tea once we settled in.

I have been camping many times in the rain and one just takes it in stride.  I love being out in it since, to me, everything feels so awake.  I feel so alive and very close with nature as I stroll.  Sometimes I stay in and simply enjoy the sounds and sights as critters scurry around and birds flit about.  It is all a part of how it is.  

"When you are discontent,

you always want more, more, more.

Your desire can never be satisfied.

But when you practice contentment,

you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes - 

I already have everything

that I really need.'

 - Dalai Lama

Enjoy your contentment!